Category Archives: Finance

Do I Need Travel Insurance for the 2019 Hurricane Season? TravelInsurance.com Provides Answers

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- With Tropical Storm Barry expected to become the first named hurricane of 2019, thus begins the storm season that will likely impact hundreds of thousands of travelers, according to TravelInsurance.com. The question many travelers have is "Will my travel plans be affected, and if so, how can I make sure I don't lose the hard-earned money I've invested in this vacation?"

In the hopes of demystifying travel insurance as it relates to tropical storms, TravelInsurance.com answers the most common questions related to travel during hurricane season:

Do I really need to purchase travel insurance just in case there is a hurricane?
Hurricanes, along with other types of storms and unpredictable weather, can and do frequently derail travel plans. If you are traveling from, or headed to, an area that is prone to hurricanes, purchasing travel insurance is a wise move if you want to protect your investment.

Will travel insurance cover me if my flight is delayed or cancelled in the event of a hurricane?
Yes. Trip cancellation coverage provides travelers reimbursement for their insured trip costs if they have to cancel prior to their departure date due to a covered reason. Most trip cancellation plans include coverage for unexpected natural disasters such as hurricanes if the event causes either an extended shutdown in carrier services or render the destination uninhabitable. Some travel insurance plans will even cover official hurricane warnings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency that tracks and forecasts tropical storms and hurricanes.

Will travel insurance cover me if my trip is interrupted by a hurricane?
Yes. Trip interruption coverage will reimburse the unused, non-refundable portions of a trip if a traveler has to cancel and abandon a trip after it's already started. The covered reasons in a travel insurance plan for trip interruption are usually the same as the covered reasons for trip cancellation. Some plans will offer a coverage limit for trip interruption that's more than the amount insured under trip cancellation in order to account for any extra expenses incurred to get home early.

What if my destination is damaged during a storm, but it happens before I leave?
If your destination is made uninhabitable by a hurricane or other natural disaster, trip cancellation will provide coverage.

What if I am affected by a storm, but it does not turn into a named hurricane?
Any severe weather that prevents you from traveling to your destination or affects your ability to stay at your destination will likely be covered under the Trip Delay or Trip Cancellation benefits. This includes severe tropical or winter storms. But again, if the tropical or winter storm is named, it is no longer possible to purchase insurance to protect against it.

What if I am concerned about a storm, but the airline or cruise company has not cancelled service - can I get reimbursed if I decide to cancel?
This depends on the type of insurance you purchase and what your plan includes. For example, some plans offer trip cancellation coverage for hurricane warnings at your destination issued by NOAA, if the insurance is purchased before the storm is named. The other option is to purchase a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade, which allows the insured to cancel their trip for any reason. CFAR is typically only available as an option at the time the policy is purchased and requires the traveler to insure 100% of their pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs. And importantly, the traveler must purchase the policy within a set number of days (usually 7-21 days) of their initial trip payment date. With CFAR, either 50% or 75% of the trip costs will be reimbursed, depending on the plan selected.

When should I purchase travel insurance and how soon is it effective?
While a policy can be purchased up until the day before you depart, it's best to purchase travel insurance soon after making the first payment towards the trip. And most importantly the travel insurance should be purchased before a disruptive event happens. Some benefits and coverages are available only if you've purchased your policy within a short window, which typically ranges from 7-21 days from the date you make your initial payment. Time-sensitive benefits include CFAR and a Pre-existing Condition Exclusion Waiver. Travel insurance plans become effective on the day immediately after you purchase it.

How much does travel insurance cost?
There are several factors that go into the cost of an insurance plan, but typically travel insurance plans cost between 4% and 10% of the total trip costs. The biggest factors that affect the policy price are the age of travelers and the amount of trip costs.

"The most important thing to remember is to buy your travel insurance early and before a storm is named," said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com. "Especially during the annual hurricane season from June to November, we recommend purchasing travel insurance immediately after making the first purchase toward your trip to make sure you are covered when that unexpected snafu happens."

For more information and travel tips, visit https://www.travelinsurance.com/.

About TravelInsurance.com:
TravelInsurance.com helps simplify the complicated world of travel insurance by providing consumers with the easiest way to compare and buy trip insurance coverage online. A member company of the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, owned and operated by DigiVentures Holdings, LLC, a licensed agency that works with some of the largest travel insurers in the industry. Purchases can be made directly through the website, with policies sent via email within minutes.

With Tropical Storm Barry expected to become the first named hurricane of 2019, thus begins the storm season that will likely impact hundreds of thousands of travelers, according to TravelInsurance.com. The question many travelers have is "Will my travel plans be affected, and if so, how can I make sure I don't lose the hard-earned money I've invested in this vacation?"

Related link: https://www.travelinsurance.com/

ARMCO QC Trends Report: Defects Related to Loan Package Documentation Doubled from 2017 to 2018

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the release of the quarterly ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report. The latest report covers both the fourth quarter (Q4) and the calendar year (CY) 2018, and provides loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology(TM).

"Critical defects in 2018 reflect the market's rising interest rates and continued escalation of property values," said Nick Volpe, chief strategy officer for ARMCO. "Fewer highly qualified borrowers transact mortgages when rates increase, which fills the market with more marginal borrowers who tend to require more documentation. It makes sense that defects related to loan package documentation more than doubled from 2017 to 2018."

The report's noteworthy findings include:
* In Q4 2018, the critical defect rate increased just over 2%, reaching 1.93% from the previous quarters rate of 1.89%
* In CY 2018, the critical defect rate increased almost 8% over the previous year, jumping from 1.68% in CY 2017 to 1.81% in CY 2018
* Defects related to Income and Employment are on the rise:
o In Q4 2018, Income and Employment related defects increased 63% over Q3 2018
o In Q4 2018, Income and Employment related defects comprised a greater percentage of total defects for both CY 2018 and CY 2017
* Defects attributed to Loan Package Documentation more than doubled between CY 2017 and CY 2018.
* In Q4 2018, defects attributed to categories related to Underwriting / Eligibility continued to dominate overall quality issues, comprising over 65% of all critical defects.
* In Q4 2018, the top three categories that increased over Q3 2018 were all key qualification categories: Income and Employment, representing 20.39% of all critical defects in the benchmark. This category was followed by Credit at 18.45% and Loan Package Documentation at 15.53%.
* In CY 2018, FHA loans accounted for roughly 31% of the loans reviewed but represented approximately 41% of loans containing critical defects.

The Q4/CY 2018 ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report is based on nationwide post-closing quality control loan data from over 90,000 unique loans selected for random full-file reviews, as was captured by the company's ACES Analytics benchmarking software. Defects listed in the report are categorized using the Fannie Mae loan defect taxonomy.

"As the market fluctuates, so do the distribution and frequency of defects, and if lenders aren't prepared, that can end up costing them a lot in price adjustments, fees, investor delays and even buybacks," said Phil McCall, president of ARMCO. "Analytical QC technologies enable lenders to catch the defects and proactively prevent them so they can protect their profits. In shifting markets, where defects are like moving targets, that's more important than ever."

ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Reports are available for download, free of charge, at https://www.armco.us/learn/reports.

About ARMCO:
Over half of the top 20 mortgage lenders in the U.S. choose ARMCO as their provider of risk management software. ARMCO's product line includes loan quality enterprise software, services, data and analytics. Its flagship product, ACES Audit Technology(TM), has set the bar for user definability in its category. It is used at virtually every point in the mortgage lifecycle, as well as for a wide range of risk-prone business operations outside traditional mortgage origination and servicing. ARMCO's consultative approach to customer relationships leverages 25 years of mortgage risk intel, assuring that its clients are using the most effective risk mitigation strategies, and are using the fastest, most reliable, most efficient means for preventing risk-related loss. ARMCO distributes the ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report, a free quarterly analysis of industry-wide mortgage loan quality. For more information, visit http://www.armco.us/ or call 1-800-858-1598.

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk management solutions, announced the release of the quarterly ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report. The latest report covers both the fourth quarter (Q4) and the calendar year (CY) 2018, and provides loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology.

Related link: https://www.armco.us/

OpenClose and Vice Capital Markets Integrate for Enhanced Hedging Automation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- OpenClose(R), an industry-leading multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and digital mortgage fintech provider, announced the completion of an integration with Vice Capital Markets Inc., an established mortgage hedge advisory firm. Focused on maximizing hedging efficiencies, the new interface reduces the time to prepare and deliver loan data and eliminates the manual intervention that occurs today, automating an ongoing seamless delivery of data. In addition, loan sale data is directly boarded back to OpenClose, automating the final loan reconciliation and expected versus actual variance analysis.

The integration takes loan-level lock data from OpenClose's LenderAssist(TM) LOS and securely transmits it directly to Vice Capital's hedging platform. This eliminates multiple manual steps and potential "break-points" in the overall process thus saving time, reducing errors, and increasing visibility that results in optimized position management.

"Our customer success is dependent on speed and accuracy, especially as it relates to effective hedging and trade management strategies," said Vince Furey, CRO at OpenClose. OpenClose is pleased to partner with Vice Capital in order to help our mutual customers maximize profitability and minimize risk in the secondary market. Using this integration, our customers are able to operate more efficiently in a fast-moving, tech-driven lending landscape."

"The less work our customers have to do, the better it is for all parties involved," says Chris Bennett, principal at Vice Capital Markets Inc. "When lenders perform a physical allocation of their loans, all of that data is now pulled straight from OpenClose's LOS, which accompanies a number of efficiencies that make the entire process quicker, easier and more accurate."

About OpenClose:

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, OpenClose(R) is a leading enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS), POS digital mortgage and fintech provider that cost effectively delivers its digital platform on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis. The company provides a variety of innovative, 100 percent web-based solutions for lenders, banks, credit unions, and conduit aggregators. OpenClose's core solution, LenderAssist(TM), is comprehensive loan origination software that is completely engineered by OpenClose using the same code base from the ground up. The company offers a RESTful API suite that standardizes system-to-system integrations, making them easier to develop, quicker to implement and more cost effective. OpenClose provides lending organizations with full control of their data and creates a truly seamless workflow for complete automation and compliance adherence. For more information, visit https://www.openclose.com/ or call (561) 655-6418.

About Vice Capital Markets:

Entering its 20th year in business, Vice Capital Markets offers complete hedge advisory, reporting, and trading services to banks and mortgage companies throughout the country. Trading over $70 billion annually, Vice Capital's proprietary risk-management models and complex investor and agency best execution platform have consistently yielded safe and effective profit maximization for its clients. Learn more at https://www.vicecapitalmarkets.com/ or call (248) 869-8100.

Media Contact:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Twitter: @openclosesocial #OpenClose #ViceCapitalMarkets #SecondaryMarketingAutomation #WesternSecondary

OpenClose(R), an industry-leading multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) and digital mortgage fintech provider, announced the completion of an integration with Vice Capital Markets Inc., an established mortgage hedge advisory firm. Focused on maximizing hedging efficiencies, the new interface reduces the time to prepare and deliver loan data and eliminates the manual intervention that occurs today, automating an ongoing seamless delivery of data.

Related link: https://www.openclose.com/

FormFree Partners with FundingShield to Deliver Enhanced Wire Fraud Protection to FormFree’s Network of More than 1,000 Mortgage Lenders

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with FundingShield, a fintech firm that safeguards homebuyers, mortgage lenders and title insurance underwriters from wire fraud.

FundingShield's loan-level verification services assure closing funds transferred at the end of a mortgage loan transaction go to verified bank accounts belonging to authorized recipients. FormFree will integrate FundingShield's Wire Account Verification Service (WAVS) into its Passport(R) all-in-one verification solution as a value-added service available to more than 1,000 mortgage lenders and their customers, including those who use Passport through one of FormFree's more than 100 integrations and reseller partnerships.

"FundingShield creates a more secure closing experience for all parties involved in a loan, from the borrower to the investor and all the service providers in-between," said Ike Suri, Chairman & CEO of FundingShield. "By partnering with FormFree, we'll be able to put that protection directly in the hands of mortgage lenders, loan officers and applicants, reducing their risk of lost funds and delayed closings due to fraud."

"Passport by FormFree is the secure, digital version of a consumer's financial ID that contains everything creditors need to know about a loan applicant," said FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler. "Our alliance with FundingShield, which gives Passport users access to industry-leading wire fraud protection, is a perfect fit for FormFree's focus on making lending more secure and transparent."

About FormFree(R):

FormFree is a fintech company whose market-leading AccountChek(R) Asset Reports are used by lenders nationwide to verify borrower assets, employment and income in minutes. To date, more than 1,000 U.S. lenders have ordered over 1.25 million AccountChek Asset Reports, delighting their customers with a paperless experience and reducing origination timelines by up to 20 days. FormFree offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and their investors using a secure ReIssueKey(TM). A HousingWire TECH100(TM) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia.

For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

About FundingShield

FundingShield is a leading provider of risk management, fraud prevention and regulatory compliance technology solutions protecting the mortgage, real estate, title and legal industries. FundingShield's award winning FinTech solutions deliver the highest level of control and risk mitigation against wire fraud, settlement risk, third-party vendors and cyber fraud while improving the bottom line. The firm's proprietary database of title and settlement parties is the largest in the industry with live, verified and vetted data. FundingShield's services deliver actionable intelligence at the transaction level with coverage up to $5 million per transaction leveraging the firm's cognitive AI and machine learning tools. These user-centric solutions are plug'n play, scalable, pay as you go, secure, cloud-based and integrate easily through its APIs. FundingShield is a HousingWire Tech100(TM) company for the year 2019.

For more information on FundingShield or to speak with the sales or product team, email sales@fundingshield.com, call 800-295-0135 ext. 2 or visit https://www.fundingshield.com/.

Twitter: @RealFormFree #FundingShield #AccountChek #Mortgagebot #digitalmortgage #mortgagelending #WireFraud #RiskManagement #FinTech #MortgageTech #RegTech

FormFree(R) today announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with FundingShield, a fintech firm that safeguards homebuyers, mortgage lenders and title insurance underwriters from wire fraud.

Related link: https://www.formfree.com/

Total Expert and ReverseVision Team Up to Transform the Reverse Mortgage Customer Journey

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the reverse mortgage industry, today announced a partnership with Total Expert, creator of the first marketing operation system (MOS) specifically for banks and mortgage lenders. The two companies have deployed an API integration that links the Total Expert MOS with ReverseVision's RV Exchange (RVX) loan origination platform, enhancing the customer journey for reverse mortgage borrowers and enabling originators to better serve customers at all walks of life.

Total Expert offers a centralized platform that helps mortgage lenders manage their brands at an enterprise level with multi-channel marketing solutions, contact management, audit-ready compliance and built-in support for co-branded marketing campaigns. The system lets lenders orchestrate and deploy marketing campaigns across any channel (e.g., email, print, social media, text, video) and create hyperpersonalized relationships that keep prospects moving through the purchase decision tree.

The partnership between ReverseVision and Total Expert enriches the Total Expert platform with ReverseVision's expert insight into the reverse mortgage customer journey. Features include customized decision trees, specialized marketing communications and sales activities designed to help "forward" and reverse mortgage origination teams identify mutual opportunities.

"When it comes to reverse mortgages, no one understands how to build the relationship between loan officer and borrower better than ReverseVision," said Total Expert President Jeff Walton. "We're pleased to deliver that expertise to lenders as part of an integrated approach to sales and marketing that combines automation and personalization and that scales for any organization."

"By pairing RVSA with Total Expert's MOS, we've developed a package of generationally-comprehensive loan modeling and marketing tools that are readily scalable in format," said ReverseVision VP of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel. "Bringing HECM's forward helps lenders better serve senior borrowers by matching them with the lending products that best meet their financial goals."

About Total Expert, Inc.

Total Expert is a fintech software pioneer of the first modern, enterprise-level Marketing Operating System (MOS) that enables lending and financial services firms to create customers for life by blending human relationships with digital simplicity. We power marketing and revenue growth for 10% of $2 trillion per year U.S. mortgage industry, and ensure banks and lenders stay ahead of how consumers expect to communicate, shop, and manage their financial lives in the digital/social era. For more information, visit https://totalexpert.com/.

About ReverseVision

ReverseVision, Inc. is the leading provider of technology and training for the reverse mortgage industry. With nearly 10,000 active users, ReverseVision technology is used by 10 of the top-ten reverse mortgage lenders and supports more reverse mortgage transactions than all other systems combined. The company's comprehensive product suite also includes reverse mortgage sales and education tools and a dedicated professional services team. ReverseVision partners with some of the finest and fastest-growing banks, credit unions and lending organizations in the United States to provide its technology to brokers, correspondents, lenders and investors.

A four-time HousingWire TECH100(TM) company, ReverseVision has also been recognized in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500(TM) listing. The company continues to build on its technology's pioneering capabilities with frequent enhancements aimed at boosting users' reverse mortgage volume, workflow efficiency and data analysis capabilities.

For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com.

Twitter: @ReverseVision @TotalExpertInc #reversemortgage #HECM #digitalmortgage

ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the reverse mortgage industry, today announced a partnership with Total Expert, creator of the first marketing operation system (MOS) specifically for banks and mortgage lenders. The two companies have deployed an API integration that links the Total Expert MOS with ReverseVision's RV Exchange (RVX).

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

Peter Grandich and Company Teams with Major CPA Firm

SPRING LAKE, N.J. /ScoopCloud/ -- Trinity Financial, Sports & Entertainment Management Company, a division of Peter Grandich and Company, announced today that it has teamed with the Sports & Entertainment Division of one of the largest CPA firms in the Tri-State Region, WithumSmith+Brown, PC ("Withum").

"Over the years, we have undergone numerous discussions with a variety of professionals who were seeking to work with us and our team of professional athlete clientele at Peter Grandich and Company," said Peter Grandich, Managing Member of Peter Grandich and Company. "We believe WithumSmith+Brown brings the most talent and experience by far, and we are very much looking forward to enhancing our services with them working side-by-side with us."

Established in 1974, Withum's three founders had a single idea to build a place where individuality and culture resonates equally alongside integrity and business acumen. The idea grew into a formidable team of professionals, and Withum is now a nationally ranked Top 25 Firm that provides innovative tools and solutions that help clients address their advisory, tax and accounting needs. Withum has 11 corporate offices in the United States, along with a presence in Grand Cayman Island.

"Peter Grandich has clearly shown to be among the most respected financial people working within the professional sports team and athlete community in the areas we serve," said Ken Hicks, Head of Withum's Sports & Entertainment Services Group. "I truly believe our services will greatly complement one another, and we eagerly look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship."

Find out more information about the Sports & Entertainment Division of Withum by visiting them online - https://www.withum.com/industry/sports-and-entertainment/.

To hear more about Peter Grandich and Company, visit us at PeterGrandich.com, or you can call (732) 642-3992 to schedule a consultation today.

ABOUT PETER GRANDICH AND COMPANY:

Peter Grandich and Company provides business, retirement and estate planning services to individuals, business owners and professional athletes. Through a strategic alliance with York-Jersey Underwriters, the company offers professional advice and risk management services to business and personal insurance clients. Additionally, the company boasts an impressive Advisory Board that includes the likes of New York Jets great Joe Klecko, former U.S. Women's National Team captain Christie Pearce Rampone, former New York Ranger Nick Fotiu, three-time Stanley Cup winner Ken Daneyko, Super Bowl champion David Tyree and former NFL quarterback Ray Lucas. Learn more: http://petergrandich.com/

ABOUT WITHUM:

Withum is a national top-ranking public accounting firm providing advisory, tax and audit services to businesses and individuals on a local-to-global scale. Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., the firm has locations in major financial centers including New York City; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC.; and Orlando, FL. Withum also is an independent member of HLB, the global advisory and accounting network.

Media Contact:
John Archibald
(732) 579-6605
jarchibald@ressports.com

Trinity Financial, Sports & Entertainment Management Company, a division of Peter Grandich and Company, announced today that it has teamed with the Sports & Entertainment Division of one of the largest CPA firms in the Tri-State Region, WithumSmith+Brown, PC ("Withum").

Related link: http://petergrandich.com/

John W. Hanning of KBKG Elected President of American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Nationwide tax specialty firm KBKG announced that their Principal, John W. Hanning, was recently elected President (2019 - 2021) of the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals' (ASCSP) Board of Directors.

Cost Segregation is a strategic tax planning tool commonly utilized in the real estate industry to accelerated depreciation deductions and increase cash flow. In order to claim the deduction, a third-party engineering firm must perform a study to review and analyze a building's structural components.

The ASCSP is a national organization founded in 2006 to address a growing need for credentials, technical standards, education, and a stringent code of ethics among cost segregation providers. The emergence of the ASCSP has given taxpayers an excellent way to make an informed decision about choosing a cost segregation provider through the identification of Certified Cost Segregation Professionals (CCSP), the highest credential in the cost segregation industry.

KBKG has a long history of support for the ASCSP. The firm's cost segregation engineers are expected to earn the ASCSP certification as they acquire the necessary experience and expertise in their careers.

"I am honored to have been elected by my peers at the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals (ASCSP)," said John W. Hanning, CCSP, MBA. "The commitment to ethics and professionalism that ASCSP upholds is one that I am proud to support through this new leadership role. I look forward to the opportunity to serve and promote the benefits of using certified cost segregation professionals."

Hanning leads KBKG's Southeast practice comprised of a team of engineers and specialists based out of the firm's Atlanta office. As Principal, his primary responsibilities include assisting capital-intensive clients with value-added services relating to Cost Segregation, R&D Tax Credits, Green Building Tax Incentives, and more. Hanning began his service to the ASCSP as an active member of the Education Committee, where he co-authored the Senior Exam Study Guide in 2012. From 2017-2019, he served as treasurer on the Board of Directors.

About KBKG:

Established in 1999 with offices across the US, KBKG provides turn-key tax solutions including research and development tax credits, cost segregation, and green building tax incentives, and more to CPAs and businesses nationwide. KBKG Atlanta is located at 44 Milton Avenue, Suite 101, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Learn more at: https://www.kbkg.com/

Nationwide tax specialty firm KBKG announced that their Principal, John W. Hanning, was recently elected President (2019 - 2021) of the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals' (ASCSP) Board of Directors.

Related link: https://www.kbkg.com/

Mace Innovations Hires Chris Giles as Director of Business Development

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Mace Innovations announced today that it has brought in Chris Giles as Director of Business Development. After years of working with a small group of curated clients, Mace Innovations has decided to expand operations and start working with companies across the entire mortgage industry. The firm's objective is to save companies money by introducing automation tools and seamless integration between critical systems.

Mace Innovations' suite of automation products allows companies to streamline time consuming tasks like data input and document delivery, freeing up employees to get more done.

"Giles has a very impressive sales background and bringing him on board was an easy decision," said Founder and CEO Chris Mace. "His sales experience makes him an invaluable employee and hiring him is the first among many steps towards growing in our industry."

Giles comes to Mace Innovations after spending nearly three years with Tesla in Salt Lake City. Giles launched the local sales operations for Tesla in Utah. Under his leadership, Salt Lake City ranked number one in the nation for one quarter and was consistently ranked among the top Tesla stores nationwide. On behalf of Tesla, Giles also worked with Salt Lake City and Utah lawmakers to change legislations surrounding car dealerships.

About Mace Innovations:

Mace Innovations is changing the landscape of the mortgage industry by helping lenders to work smarter, not harder since 2014. Mace Innovations automation tools work directly and efficiently with Encompass to allow lenders to automate tasks and improve workflow.

To learn more, visit https://maceinnovations.com.

Mace Innovations announced today that it has brought in Chris Giles as Director of Business Development. Mace Innovations' suite of automation products allows companies to streamline time consuming tasks like data input and document delivery, freeing up employees to get more done.

Related link: https://maceinnovations.com/

ARMCO Expands Business Development Team – Industry veteran Mike Ehring to expand client base across several verticals

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk mitigation solutions, has announced that it has hired industry veteran Mike Ehring as senior director of business development.

Ehring brings over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in sales and business development for mortgage fintech companies that include Dorado, CoreLogic and most recently at LoanLogics. As ARMCO's senior director of business development, Ehring will focus on growing revenue through new client acquisition. His focus will include several verticals, including mortgage lenders, banks, credit unions, and FinTech companies.

"I'm excited about the opportunities that come from working for the leader in mortgage quality control technology," said Ehring. "I've had my eye on ARMCO because of their advancements in the RegTech space and the infrastructure they have behind customer care. It's great to work with a company that excels in every category, from its products to its people."

"Mike has a great track record working with the largest lenders in the U.S. market," said Kyle Kehoe, chief revenue officer for ARMCO. "When you combine his expertise and passion for helping financial institutions, with ARMCO's category best solutions and consultative approach to client management, you have a recipe for great success. We're happy to welcome him to the team."

About ARMCO:

Over half of the top 20 mortgage lenders in the U.S. choose ARMCO as their provider of risk management software. ARMCO's product line includes loan quality enterprise software, services, data and analytics. Its flagship product, ACES Audit Technology(tm), has set the bar for user definability in its category. It is used at virtually every point in the mortgage lifecycle, as well as for a wide range of risk-prone business operations outside traditional mortgage origination and servicing.

ARMCO's consultative approach to customer relationships leverages 25 years of mortgage risk intel, assuring that its clients are using the most effective risk mitigation strategies, and are using the fastest, most reliable, most efficient means for preventing risk-related loss. ARMCO distributes the ARMCO Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report, a free quarterly analysis of industry-wide mortgage loan quality. For more information, visit http://www.armco.us/ or call 1-800-858-1598.

ACES Risk Management (ARMCO), the leading provider of enterprise financial risk mitigation solutions, has announced that it has hired industry veteran Mike Ehring as senior director of business development.

Related link: https://www.armco.us/

Former Treasury Official Craig Phillips to Deliver Keynote at #NEXTDC19

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's executive mortgage summit, and Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, D.C. advisory firm founded by Faith Schwartz, today announced that former Treasury Department official, Craig Phillips, will deliver the keynote #NEXTDC19 on November 19, 2019 at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C.

Craig Phillips recently resigned his position as counselor to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin after serving as the Trump administration's point person on housing matters for two and a half years. Philips was widely regarded as the architect of the administration's forthcoming housing reform plan and has advocated for ending the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and returning them to private ownership.

"We're excited to have a keynote speaker with such intimate knowledge of the country's housing reform discussions," said Jeri Yoshida, co-founder of NEXT. "Having Craig Philips share his unique perspective on the nation's housing finance system, in an intimate small group setting, falls right in line #NEXTDC19's value proposition. NEXT events deliver intel that attendees can't get elsewhere."

#NEXTDC19 is the first women's executive summit that brings together Washington policy makers, fintech luminaries, and mortgage lending executives, for a dedicated, ongoing conversation on housing policy's impact on mortgage lenders and fintech providers. The summit's sessions will focus on current policy as well as housing issues that could be impacted by the 2020 election.

"Adding Craig Phillips to our lineup for #NEXTDC19 is a testament to the strength of our alliance with NEXT Mortgage Events and our mutual commitment to promoting the highest quality connection and intel exchange for women executives in housing finance," said Faith Schwartz, president of Housing Finance Strategies.

Registration and additional information is available at https://nextdc19.splashthat.com/.

About NEXT Mortgage Events LLC:

In January 2018, NEXT Mortgage Events broke the mortgage industry's unspoken barriers limiting women's access to competitive intel when it introduced NEXT, the mortgage executive summit for women. NEXT is a multi-day, tech-focused symposium based on lending executives sharing competitive intel with other lending executives. A boutique event, NEXT targets a select group of decision making executives: roughly 85-90% of NEXT's lender attendees hold a title of VP or higher and approximately 85% of attendees are women. NEXT hosts several events each year. For more information visit https://NEXTMortgageNews.com, follow @NEXTmtgEvents or email info@NEXTmortgageEvents.com.

About Housing Finance Strategies:

Housing Finance Strategies is a small woman-owned business founded in 2016 to provide Strategic Advisory Services, Government and Industry Relations, Public Policy Expertise, Roundtable and Event Management and Professional Speaking Services to the housing finance industry. The firm brings 25+ years of expertise to the forefront of mortgage, including leading fintech change, advising on GSE reform and ensuring non-bank readiness for regulatory oversight. For more information, visit https://HousingFinanceStrategies.com or email admin@housingfinancestrategies.com.

NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's executive mortgage summit, and Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, D.C. advisory firm founded by Faith Schwartz, today announced that former Treasury Department official, Craig Phillips, will deliver the keynote #NEXTDC19 on November 19, 2019 at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C.

Related link: https://www.nextmortgageconference.com/

EPIC adds Benefits Consultant Dennis Park in Irvine CA

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Dennis Park has joined the firm as Vice President, Employee Benefits.

Dennis will be based in EPIC's Irvine, Calif. office and report to Managing Principal Tony D'Asaro and Tiffany McClellen, Regional Director, Employee Benefits.

He will have responsibility for new business development and for of the design, implementation, and management of Employee Benefits programs, focusing on the needs of middle-market companies across a wide range of business and industry, including manufacturing, healthcare and technology.

Dennis joins EPIC from OneDigital Health and Benefits in Irvine, Calif., where he spent the past 8 years as an Employee Benefits Consultant. He spent the first 18 years of his career with the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, where he specialized in developing and managing financial security strategies; corporate life insurance, disability insurance, retirement planning and employee benefits.

He attended the University of California, Irvine, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics.

"We are thrilled to continue the growth of our Employee Benefits Consulting operations in Southern California with Dennis's addition," said Jim Gillette, President of EPIC's Pacific South Region. "He is a well-respected, highly consultative employee benefits professional who will deliver great value to our clients and to other EPIC team members. I could not be more excited to have Dennis join our EPIC team."

Dennis Park can be reached at dennis.park@epicbrokers.com or (949) 417-9109.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Dennis Park has joined the firm as Vice President, Employee Benefits.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

CPROP Partners with The Mortgage Collaborative as Its Exclusive Blockchain Vendor

COVINGTON, Ky. /ScoopCloud/ -- CryptoProperties LLC (CPROP) is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC) to join its Preferred Partner Network as TMC's exclusive provider of blockchain-enabled products and services.

"We are highly intrigued by the potential advantages blockchain can deliver to the mortgage industry, both in terms of operating efficiencies and product innovation," TMC Chief Operating Officer Rich Swerbinsky said. "We look forward to working closely with CPROP to help our members remain at the forefront of the industry and continue to grow market share."

"We are honored to join TMC's network of top tier lenders and strategic partners," said CPROP Co-founder Sandy Selman. "TMC's platform affords us an ideal opportunity to work directly with the lending community to tackle industry pain points and deploy solutions that advance the mortgage industry - one of the key real estate industry sub-sectors served by CPROP."

Debbie Hoffman, who has joined CPROP as a senior advisor, will serve as the senior executive for the TMC client relationship.

"This partnership between TMC and CPROP will serve both parties extremely well," Hoffman said. "CPROP's ability to deliver tailored and focused blockchain mortgage initiatives to TMC members will enable the industry to develop added efficiencies across the mortgage lifecycle."

About The Mortgage Collaborative:

Founded in 2013, TMC is the largest independent mortgage cooperative in America, serving more than 155 lender members, with an aggregate annual origination volume of over $200 billion. The lender network is supported by a preferred partner network of best-in-class companies that specialize within each facet of the mortgage life cycle. TMC empowers mortgage lenders across the country with better financial execution, reduced costs, enhanced expertise and improved compliance to help its members access the dynamic and changing consumer base in America.

For more information, visit: https://www.mortgagecollaborative.com/.

About CPROP:

As a thought leader in blockchain-enabled solutions in real estate, CPROP develops and deploys proprietary and white-labeled apps across the real estate value chain, using blockchain where appropriate, to help its partners and clients reduce business risk, address pain points and capture new revenue opportunities.

For more information, please visit http://cprop.io or send your inquiry to info@cprop.io.

CryptoProperties LLC (CPROP) is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC) to join its Preferred Partner Network as TMC's exclusive provider of blockchain-enabled products and services.

Related link: https://www.mortgagecollaborative.com

Bank of Southern California, N.A. Names Robby Piper Senior Managing Director

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, is pleased to announce that Robby Piper has joined the company as Senior Managing Director, Business Banking. He will be responsible for expanding Bank of Southern California's client base by actively seeking new business opportunities in Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Mr. Piper, a veteran banker with a proven history of results-driven success, has more than twenty years of industry experience working with small to mid-sized businesses from Orange County to the Inland Empire. Prior to joining Bank of Southern California, he held similar roles at Citizens Business Bank and Union Bank. Involved in the community, he served as the past President and Board Member for the Exchange Club of Magnolia Center. Mr. Piper obtained a bachelor's degree from California State University in San Bernardino.

"We are pleased to welcome Robby to Bank of Southern California's robust Business Banking team. His well-established network in the Orange and Riverside markets, along with his reputation for outstanding performance and customer service, make him a great asset," said John Chung, Group Managing Director.

"Robby will play an integral role as we continue to expand the Bank's presence and further position ourselves as the bank of choice for Southern California businesses," concluded Chung.

About Bank of Southern California:

A growing community bank, established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, Calif., is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products to individuals, professionals and small-to-medium sized businesses. The Bank's solution-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients.

The Bank currently operates eleven branches in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, as well as a production office in West Los Angeles. For more information, please visit https://www.banksocal.com/ or call (858) 847-4780.

Tickers: OTC Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, is pleased to announce that Robby Piper has joined the company as Senior Managing Director, Business Banking. He will be responsible for expanding Bank of Southern California's client base.

Related link: https://www.banksocal.com/

EPIC adds Awareness and Communications Professionals Jon Williams, TJ Rosenberg and Dale Smith

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the hiring of Jon Williams, TJ Rosenberg, and Dale Smith to lead the Awareness & Communications Practice as Managing Directors within EPIC Risk Consulting.

Williams, Rosenberg and Smith all join EPIC from Protiviti, where they had similar client consulting responsibilities and worked together closely. Their clients included global organizations in the Retail, Distribution, Finance, Technology, Manufacturing, and Service industries.

At EPIC, the team will provide EPIC Risk Consulting clients with a wide range of awareness training and employee communication programs that will also help enhance the team's asset protection consulting and managed services, including audit programs already in place. Their expertise includes areas such as Workplace Safety, Asset Protection, IT Security, AML and Regulatory Compliance requirements; how to use enterprise applications such as SAP and SharePoint; Ethics and Code of Conduct; and many others.

Said Maurice Edwards, Managing Principal of EPIC Risk Consulting, "We are thrilled to further expand and strengthen our EPIC Risk Consulting capabilities with the additions of Jon, TJ and Dale. All are experienced, knowledgeable, and highly respected awareness & communications professionals who will deliver significant value to our clients and their employees, and to other EPIC team members. I could not be more excited to have them join our growing team."

Jon Williams can be reached at jon.williams@epicbrokers.com or 312-543-6427.

TJ Rosenberg can be reached at tj.rosenberg@epicbrokers.com or 226-789-2240.

Dale Smith can be reached at dale.smith@epicbrokers.com or 226-338-5474.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, please visit: https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the hiring of Jon Williams, TJ Rosenberg, and Dale Smith to lead the Awareness & Communications Practice as Managing Directors within EPIC Risk Consulting.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

SimpleNexus Bolsters Senior Leadership Team to Support Expanding Roster of Mortgage Lender Clients

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers and real estate agents, today announced that it has bolstered its senior leadership team with the appointments of three vice presidents to support the company's rapidly expanding roster of mortgage lender clients.

"Our rapidly growing user base underscores a strong lender appetite for digital mortgage tools that help fill referral pipelines and improve loan application conversion," said SimpleNexus President and COO Ben Miller. "We are proud to welcome three talented leaders who share SimpleNexus' commitment to excellence and innovation."

The newly appointed executives are:

* Kent Besaw, VP of Customer Success
Besaw possesses 17 years of management experience in the financial services and technology sectors and a proven track record of accelerating the growth and impact of customer success teams. In his role as VP of customer success, Besaw will help maximize client outcomes and loyalty. Prior to joining SimpleNexus, Besaw held positions as director of customer success at SaltStack, an IT automation software company, and Instructure, an education and professional development platform. Besaw earned his master's degree in business administration from Brigham Young University.

* Kevin McKenzie, VP of Finance
McKenzie has 15 years' experience in financial analysis and controllership. As VP of finance, McKenzie will leverage his finance and accounting acumen to fiscally position SimpleNexus for the next stage of its development. Previously, McKenzie held VP of finance roles at Zane Benefits and AdvancedMD, where he successfully led finance teams to drive scalable growth. McKenzie holds a master's degree in business administration from Westminster College and a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Utah.

* Shane Westra, VP of Product
Westra brings a twenty-year background in product development to his role as VP of product for SimpleNexus. Westra's penchant for identifying elegant solutions to complex problems will guide his team's development of SimpleNexus products and user experiences. His past roles in Silicon Valley and Utah's local tech scene have helped companies such as Bynder and LexisNexis grow revenue and establish mature and scalable product development lifecycles. Westra holds a master's degree in business administration from Brigham Young University.

Besaw, McKenzie and Westra join SimpleNexus' highly decorated leadership team, whose members have been honorees of the HousingWire Vanguard award, HousingWire Rising Star award and National Mortgage Professional's 40 Under 40 award.

SimpleNexus empowers more than 20,000 loan officers to "do more" while serving more than 220 mortgage companies, including 15 of the top 25 retail lenders in the United States. For more information, visit https://simplenexus.com/domore.

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers and real estate agents to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus #digitalmortgage #newhires #peoplemovers

SimpleNexus (simplenexus.com), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers and real estate agents, today announced that it has bolstered its senior leadership team with the appointments of three vice presidents to support the company's rapidly expanding roster of mortgage lender clients.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

Mann Mortgage Revamps Loan Originator (LO) Compensation Structure, Gains Cost-Efficiency and Flexibility with LBA Ware’s CompenSafe

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), provider of the leading automated incentive compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, announced today that Mann Mortgage has successfully overhauled its incentive compensation plan structure and management with CompenSafe(TM).

After doubling in size over two years, Montana-based lender Mann Mortgage embarked on a companywide process-improvement effort that included revamping its compensation structure to scale with the company's growth and evolving market conditions. In LBA Ware's CompenSafe, Mann Mortgage found an automated incentive compensation and sales performance management platform flexible enough to accommodate an overhaul of its entire compensation structure and powerful enough to monitor and help optimize sales performance over time.

"Since margin compression hit the industry, the war for talent has become more aggressive, making it a challenge to manage the cost of LO compensation," said Mann Mortgage CEO Jason Mann. "CompenSafe has enabled us to efficiently and compliantly reward LOs with attractive commissions while protecting our bottom-line profitability."

Because CompenSafe integrates directly with Mann Mortgage's loan origination system, Ellie Mae(R) Encompass(R), the lender can access the detailed loan-to-branch-level reporting it needs to build cost-effective compensation plans that incent performance and attract talent. Moreover, CompenSafe's flexibility has allowed Mann Mortgage to easily set up unique compensation plans without having to create manual workarounds that hinder accuracy and efficiency.

"CompenSafe is transforming the way lenders do business by translating lender data into actionable insights that inform better business decisions," said LBA Ware Founder and CEO Lori Brewer. "Our goal is to help lenders grow production and profitability with top-notch mortgage technology."

A case study detailing Mann Mortgage's implementation of CompenSafe is available for download.

About Mann Mortgage

Kalispell, Montana-based Mann Mortgage is a family-owned, independent lender that emphasizes community relationships, honesty and integrity. Since its founding in 1989, Mann Mortgage has been committed to hometown values, solid partnerships, streamlined processes and cutting-edge technologies. Mann Mortgage has retail branches in 17 states and is a licensed lender in 24 states. For more information about Mann Mortgage, visit https://mannmortgage.com/.

About LBA Ware

Founded in 2008, LBA Ware's mission is to inspire opportunity by delivering solutions that are essential to the way mortgage companies operate. We are a trusted partner and play a key role in our clients' success by enabling them to motivate, incentivize and better leverage the human potential within their organizations. Our applications automate traditionally manual business processes for which an existing software solution does not exist, empowering lenders to create an integrated software environment that maximizes their productivity and operational efficiency. For more information about LBA Ware and our software solutions, visit https://lbaware.com.

Twitter: @LBAWare @MannMortgageLLC #mortgagebanking #digitalmortgage #CompenSafe

LBA Ware(TM), provider of the leading automated incentive compensation and sales performance management platform for mortgage lenders, announced today that Mann Mortgage has successfully overhauled its incentive compensation plan structure and management with CompenSafe(TM).

Related link: https://lbaware.com/

BlackFin Group Offers ’10x Business Review’ to Help Spike Lender Profitability

IRVINE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- BlackFin Group - a boutique-style consulting firm focused on mortgage banking and financial services, announced the offering of a standardized, end-to-end, lender business review. The lender 10X Business Review is an affordable, comprehensive, fixed rate, three-week engagement. Using BlackFin Group's proprietary formula, the 150-point assessment will grade the critical aspects of a lender's business operations from originations to loan closings. The final report will include a series of short-term opportunities and long-term recommendations, collectively charting a path to 10X growth.

Keith Kemph, president, and CEO of BlackFin Group highlighted, "It's no secret the lending industry continues to see a steady diet of mergers, acquisitions, buy-outs, closures, and mutations, while others are trying to expand into new origination channels. Added to this operational chaos, banks continue to struggle in the mortgage space - many leaving originations and coming back."

Keith believes when you couple these environments with sustained margin compression and increasing per loan cost, the only real option for lenders to combat this, is to consider having expensive consultants come in and help maximize profitability.

Unfortunately, since consultants are mostly known for parking inside an organization and taking up residence on a lenders P&L for an undetermined time - is cost prohibitive. BlackFin Group's 10X Business Review is designed to fill that growing gap in the lending industry.

BlackFin Group is well poised for these quick sprints, leveraging their vast national network of top-tier lending industry executives turned consultants, a carefully curated community of Elite Member Consultants. Former C-Level mortgage banking executives, who possess the knowledge, skills, connections, and experience necessary to deliver on these commanding reviews. Kemph indicates, "because we operate as a community, we are work together to provide the highest value to each client."

The '10X Business Review' is not only in direct alignment with market demands but also with BlackFin Group's vision, mission, and the core values. Dedicated to delivering transparent, fixed price, fully defined, lender business reviews that positions lenders for greater success, and increased profitability.

About BlackFin Group:

BlackFin Group is a boutique management consulting firm that specializes in the five critical disciplines of business to help with your specific needs. We are skilled in the successful execution of your firms' significant initiatives. When considering over 65 percent of all strategic initiatives fail (business and technology projects) - your firm needs to know you have the right business partner in place that ensures success.

For more information, contact the company at (949) 326-5675, info@BlackFin-Group.com, or visit its website https://www.blackfin-group.com.

BlackFin Group - a boutique-style consulting firm focused on mortgage banking and financial services, announced the offering of a standardized, end-to-end, lender business review. The lender 10X Business Review is an affordable, comprehensive, fixed rate, three-week engagement.

Related link: https://www.blackfin-group.com/

NotaryCam Anticipates 2019 Banner Year, Citing Growing Adoption of Remote Online Notary, Remote Online Closing

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- NotaryCam(R), creator of remote online notarization (RON), acknowledged leader in online notarization and original provider of patented mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced it is extending its 2018 record growth to another unprecedented performance in 2019. Following a nearly 140 percent 2018 increase in new users, NotaryCam surpassed 200,000 users in the first half of 2019, and is on pace to add 10,000 users monthly.

"NotaryCam's first-mover advantage and persistence have really earned dividends. By any measure, 2018 was the most impressive year to date in NotaryCam's history, and that momentum continues to propel us in 2019," said NotaryCam Founder and CEO Rick Triola. "Further, we've sustained our robust new user growth without technical glitches or notary/customer downtime, ensuring consumers, lenders and settlement professionals maintained reliable access to the NotaryCam platform for all their notarization and closing needs."

Throughout its growth trajectory, NotaryCam has achieved and sustained the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the niche and remains the only platform that scales in every jurisdiction, meaning NotaryCam alone provides mortgage lenders and their settlement agents the competitive advantage of closing how the client wants to close.

NotaryCam's expansion includes growing international demand, as illustrated by its role in successfully closing RON transactions in 146 countries just in the last month. In Q3, the firm will open an international headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, while expanding its notary pool across the country.

"With real estate and mortgage transactions at an all-time high, our 2019 growth outlook is rosy mid-year as we work behind the scenes to advance adoption of remote online notarization and remote online closings nationwide," Triola added. "We not only just recently completed our first Florida transaction, but also helped a major provider of title insurance and transaction services complete its first remote notarization in Texas. Across the board we're now closing daily what we previously have done in a year."

About NotaryCam:

After pioneering the world's first multi-party/multi-state remote online notarization (RON), career real estate executive Rick Triola founded NotaryCam and completed the first mortgage remote online closing (ROC) in 2014. Today, NotaryCam is the leader in online notarization and mortgage eClosing solutions, having notarized documents worldwide for hundreds of thousands of customers in all 50 states and more than 145 countries.

The company's patented eClose360(R) platform delivers the "perfect" online mortgage closing in every jurisdiction with a flexible workflow for document recording and unparalleled identity verification, security and customer convenience. NotaryCam also proudly maintains an industry-leading 99.8 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Visit https://www.notarycam.com for additional information or to get a document notarized today.

NotaryCam(R), creator of remote online notarization (RON), acknowledged leader in online notarization and original provider of patented mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced it is extending its 2018 record growth to another unprecedented performance in 2019. Following a nearly 140 percent 2018 increase in new users, NotaryCam surpassed 200,000 users in the first half of 2019, and is on pace to add 10,000 users monthly.

Related link: https://www.notarycam.com/

DocMagic and LendingPad Integrate for Easy, Compliant Document Preparation and eSigning

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has completed an integration with cloud-based loan origination system (LOS) provider LendingPad from WEI Technology LLC, offering its document preparation services directly from within the LendingPad environment.

The new integration was completed in only 60 days and provides seamless access to DocMagic's fully TRID-compliant documents, state-specific disclosures and paperless digital mortgage process. Users are able to order, generate, manage, receive and deliver electronically signed TRID-compliant documents such as the loan estimate (LE), closing disclosure (CD) and other relevant lending documentation.

"DocMagic believes in establishing system-to-system connectivity to as many parties as possible in order to efficiently and expeditiously complete transactions and close loans on time," stated Steve Ribultan, director of business development at DocMagic. "Partnering with LOS providers like LendingPad is key to our goal of eliminating paper, ensuring compliance, and making the end user's job as easy as possible."

DocMagic's Audit Engine automates data and document validation throughout key phases in the lending process with continuous compliance checks, providing accuracy at all times. Mutual customers will realize greater efficiency and compliance adherence due to this integration. It significantly reduces time and costs, ensures data integrity, and eliminates errors that can lead to non-compliance.

"We are pleased to partner with the industry-leading loan document preparation provider and look forward to a long-term relationship with DocMagic," said Wes Yuan, managing director of WEI Technology. "With both of our platforms being completely SaaS and Cloud-based, there are a number of additional capabilities we can jointly leverage to make the life of the lender, originator and borrower much easier via digital lending."

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, compliance, eSign and eDelivery solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops software, mobile apps, processes and web- based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. The company's compliance experts and in-house legal staff consistently monitor legal and regulatory changes at both the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy. For more information on DocMagic, visit https://www.docmagic.com/.

About LendingPad(R):
7
Residential mortgage professionals created LendingPad's innovative loan origination system (LOS) to help lenders to make better lending decisions, to provide an exceptional user experience, and to enhance individual originators' ability to succeed. Leveraging from a highly-scalable cloud infrastructure, LendingPad is a web-based, end-to-end platform offering unique features such as same-file multi-user edit capabilities and real-time updates. LendingPad Network is a hub connecting borrowers, lenders and service providers. The solutions LendingPad offers elevate the efficiency, compliance, and information security of brokers, lenders, and depository institutions. LendingPad is a Premier Member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and a proud winner of HousingWire's Tech100 award. LendingPad is a product of WEI Technology LLC, headquartered in McLean, Va. Visit the company's website to learn more https://www.lendingpad.com/.

Media Contact:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Twitter: @DocMagic @LendingPad #LoanDocumentPreparation #LoanOriginationSystemIntegration #eSigning #SaaS #fintech

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that it has completed an integration with cloud-based loan origination system (LOS) provider LendingPad from WEI Technology LLC, offering its document preparation services directly from within the LendingPad environment.

Related link: https://www.docmagic.com/

Financial Research Firm Reveals New FLEX-10 Index to Track Performance of the Market’s Top Ten Stocks

BALTIMORE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- Charles Street Research (CSR), a financial research and publishing think tank based in Baltimore, Maryland, recently revealed a brand new performance index for one of their top research services.

* Retirement and income expert Charles Sizemore leads development of portfolio strategy merging value and momentum metrics
* Index backtested over 20 years to cover wide range of market environments and two major crashes
* Overall performance phenomenal ... shows results that would have crushed all major benchmark indexes.

Developed by Charles Sizemore, CSR's Chief Retirement and Income Strategist, the FLEX-10 Index tracks the performance of a model portfolio comprised of the market's top ten value and momentum stocks each month.

Not to be confused with benchmark indexes like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq, the FLEX-10 Index tracks a very small, selective group of stocks based on 27 different criteria. The index is updated monthly to reflect the rapidly changing market environment.

"For the past decade, many investors have felt like geniuses riding this ten-year bull market," Sizemore says of the new index. "But those outstanding gains have primarily been driven by about 10-20 high-flying stocks."

"Now, we're starting to see many of those stocks come under pressure. Anyone investing in a fund that tracks a broad market index is at increased risk in the months ahead. And if we're headed for a recession, anyone broadly invested in the market is likely to get crushed, just like in 2008."

Sizemore's FLEX-10 Index is designed to perform in any market environment, including a hedged position when volatility starts to pick up.

While he's the first to admit this strategy won't outperform the benchmarks every month, he's extremely confident in the long-term outlook.

"We ran an aggressive backtest all the way back to 1999 to test this out. I'm confident we've covered just about every market condition, including two major market crashes. While recently value stocks have fallen a bit out of favor, I expect the FLEX-10 Index to vastly outperform the benchmarks over the next decade."

To learn more about the FLEX-10 Index, access Sizemore's recent presentation, delivered to Charles Street Research subscribers at The Rich Investor.

http://www.flex10index.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheRichInvestorDaily/

https://www.facebook.com/MeetCharlesSizemore/

About Charles Street Research:

Charles Street Research provides readers with economic forecasting, investment research, and proprietary economic knowledge.

We give our customers the information we would want if we were looking for it. Charles Street Research is fully independent and unbiased, and only publishes information and strategies we would want our own families to follow. Learn more at: https://www.charlesstreetresearch.com/

Press Contact:
Stephanie Gerardot
media@charlesstreetresearch.com

Charles Street Research (CSR), a financial research and publishing think tank based in Baltimore, Maryland, recently revealed a brand new performance index for one of their top research services.

Related link: https://www.charlesstreetresearch.com/

EPIC adds New Benefits Consulting Team in Houston TX

HOUSTON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the hiring of Principal Ed Oravetz, Principal Keith McNeely, Principal David Potts, Client Executive Elisha Johnson and Client Manager Marilu Alejandre.

This group of seasoned employee benefits consulting professionals joins EPIC from Marsh & McLennan Agency - Southwest in Houston where they worked together for more than 3 years.

Oravetz, McNeely, Potts, Johnson and Alejandre will share responsibility for new business development and for of the design, implementation, servicing, and management of Employee Benefits Programs, focusing on the needs of middle-market companies across a wide range of business and industry.

"We are thrilled to continue the growth of our Employee Benefits Consulting operations in the Southwest Region with the additions of Ed, Keith, David, Elisha and Marilu," said KJ Wagner. "They are well respected industry professionals who will add tremendous value to our clients and to other EPIC team members. I could not be more excited to have them on our team."

Ed Oravetz can be reached at ed.oravetz@epicbrokers.com or 281-687-8635.

Keith McNeely can be reached at keith.mcneely@epicbrokers.com or 281-787-1269.

David Potts can be reached at david.potts@epicbrokers.com or 281-678-4544.

Elisha Johnson can be reached at Elisha.johanson@epicbrokers.com or 281-797-8727.

Marilu Alejandre can be reached at marilu.alejandre@epicbrokers.com or 832-499.3067.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today the hiring of Principal Ed Oravetz, Principal Keith McNeely, Principal David Potts, Client Executive Elisha Johnson and Client Manager Marilu Alejandre.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

SimpleNexus Helps Raise $17,500 for Families of Hospitalized Children as Sponsor of 9th Annual Security National Charity Golf Classic

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers and real estate agents, helped raise more than $17,500 to support the families of hospitalized children as a Birdie-level sponsor of Security National Mortgage Company's ninth annual SN Charity Golf Classic, held June 13 at Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake, Utah.

The event benefited Cars 4 Kids, a Utah-based organization that partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to contribute all tournament proceeds to families traveling to Salt Lake City area hospitals for medical treatment.

The 2019 SN Charity Golf Classic brought together a full tournament of 144 golfers to help RMHC further its mission of providing a "caring home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill or injured children." Funds raised for 2019 surpassed last year's contribution of $15,000 benefitting Youth Impact of Ogden.

SimpleNexus was joined by 27 other sponsors, including mortgage lenders Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions and First American Mortgage Solutions; mortgage service providers Certified Credit Reporting and Platinum Appraisal Management Company; and mortgage technology provider Ellie Mae.

"The Security National Charity Golf Classic does an outstanding job rallying the local Salt Lake business community to support children and families during their time of greatest need," said SimpleNexus CEO Matt Hansen. "We are proud to contribute to the success of this year's fundraiser."

SimpleNexus empowers more than 20,000 loan officers to "do more" while serving more than 220 mortgage companies, including 15 of the top 25 retail lenders in the United States. For more information, visit https://simplenexus.com/domore. For more information about the SN Charity Golf Classic or to make a contribution, visit https://birdeasepro.com/snmcgolf/.

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers and real estate agents to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus @RMHCUtah #digitalmortgage #golfforgood

SimpleNexus, developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers and real estate agents, helped raise more than $17,500 to support the families of hospitalized children as a Birdie-level sponsor of Security National Mortgage Company's ninth annual SN Charity Golf Classic.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

The Solaris Group, LLC Joins Klingenstein Fields

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Solaris Group (Solaris), a New York-based wealth advisor and investment consultant to non-profit organizations, today announced that it is joining KF Group LP, an affiliate of Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a complementary wealth advisor also based in New York.

Together, the combined firm will have over $4 billion in assets under management. Under the terms of the transaction, both firms will benefit from shared investment, human, technology, and physical resources.

Solaris co-founders Ralph D. Sinsheimer, Albert C. Bellas, and Stephen Brent Wells will continue in senior positions at the combined firm and will continue to manage Solaris client portfolios and relationships. They will work closely with Kenneth D. Pollinger, CEO and Co-Chairman of KFWA, James W. Fields, President of KFWA, Kenneth H. Fields, a founding partner, Co-Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of KFWA, and other investment professionals at KFWA.

"The resources of the combined firm will enable us to serve our clients even more effectively with the same high level of integrity, professionalism, objectivity, discretion and accountability that Solaris has always delivered," said Steve Wells.

"KFWA's investment, technology and wealth planning resources are very complementary to Solaris' capabilities and will help us enhance what we deliver to our clients," added Albert Bellas.

"Ensuring the ongoing continuity of Solaris' wealth management practice and consulting to non-profit institutions so that we can continue to help our clients accomplish their short-term, legacy and philanthropic goals is of paramount importance to us," stated Ralph Sinsheimer.

More information: https://solarisgroupllc.com/ and http://www.klingenstein.com/

The Solaris Group (Solaris), a New York-based wealth advisor and investment consultant to non-profit organizations, today announced that it is joining KF Group LP, an affiliate of Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a complementary wealth advisor also based in New York.

Related link: https://solarisgroupllc.com/

Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors Acquires Assets of The Solaris Group LLC

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a leading independent wealth advisor based in New York, today announced the acquisition, through its affiliate KF Group LP, of the assets of The Solaris Group, LLC (Solaris), a complementary New York-based wealth advisor. Together, the combined firm will have over $4.0 billion in assets under management.

Under the terms of the transaction, both firms will benefit from shared physical, investment, human, and technology resources. Kenneth D. Pollinger, CEO and Co-Chairman of KFWA, and James W. Fields, President of KFWA, will maintain their roles with the combined entity. Kenneth H. Fields, a founding partner of KFWA, will continue as Co-Chairman and Chief Investment Officer.

Solaris co-founders Ralph Sinsheimer, Albert Bellas, and Stephen Brent Wells will continue in senior positions at the combined firm and will continue to manage Solaris client portfolios and relationships.

"With this transaction, KFWA solidifies its position as one of the top independent Registered Investment Advisers in the country, with a commitment to delivering high-quality wealth management and personalized service," said Kenneth D. Pollinger. "We identified Solaris as an institution with a high caliber of experienced wealth management professionals who share the same client-centric approach to relationship management and stewardship of their clients' assets. We are excited and look forward to the future, with clients from both KFWA and Solaris benefiting from the enhanced resources and capabilities offered."

James W. Fields added, "The addition of Solaris allows KFWA to expand its range of investment management solutions, with Solaris' deep expertise in the creation of multi-manager asset allocation portfolios that include traditional 'long-only' asset classes as well as alternative investments."

More information: http://www.klingenstein.com/.

Klingenstein Fields Wealth Advisors (KFWA), a leading independent wealth advisor based in New York, today announced the acquisition, through its affiliate KF Group LP, of the assets of The Solaris Group, LLC (Solaris), a complementary New York-based wealth advisor. Together, the combined firm will have over $4.0 billion in assets under management.

Related link: http://www.klingenstein.com

Jessica Merino Receives the Young Entrepreneur Award from NAWBO Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill. /ScoopCloud/ -- On Monday, May 6, 2019, Jessica Merino of Merino Wealth Management received the Young Entrepreneur Award at the Annual Celebration NAWBO Chicago Achievement Luncheon.

The Young Entrepreneur Award showcases an outstanding individual for her business achievements and commitment to serving this organization. The winner of this award is an exemplary member who inspires us while propelling entrepreneurism forward.

At Merino Wealth we believe that all women deserve to be respected when it comes to their money and money is one tool we all have to drive us to the point of equality," said Jessica Merino. "From supporting causes that help women and girls, to providing employees with a family leave benefit, to helping our clients invest their money in companies with women leadership I like to think we're walking the walk."

Reflecting on the honor, Merino stated, "this award meant so much to me as the women of NAWBO, who are leaders in their own fields, are such an inspiration to me."

"It is a privilege to honor accomplished women at our annual Achievement Award Luncheon that showcases the diversity and success stories that inspire our community," says Susan Gotham, President NAWBO Chicago.

NAWBO Chicago regularly identifies key award opportunities in the business community and within NAWBO and disseminates that information to its members for application.

The celebration took place on May 6 at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E Monroe St, Chicago, starting with networking at 11 a.m., followed by Luncheon and Program at 12 p.m. and concluding with the Chocolate Hour at 2 p.m.

About Merino Wealth Management:

Merino Wealth Management was founded in 2016 by Chicago Financial Advisor Jessica Merino, CFP(R). We take a down-to-earth approach to help make achieving your financial and life goals a reality. At the end of the day, our clients want to feel more confident and less stressed about finances, and in turn, more present and effective in their own lives and businesses. More information: https://www.merinowealth.com/.

Over the years, while Jessica has helped clients in all walks of life, she has become an expert in helping female entrepreneurs who consider themselves Gen X-ers, Xennials, or Millennials. She understands their challenges so her goal is to help them feel more confident and less stressed as they pursue their financial goals. She loves her work because she finds that it leads to a domino effect of financial empowerment as her clients help themselves and others.

About NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners):

Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of America's more than 10 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries. NAWBO develops programs that help navigate women entrepreneurs through the various stages of their business growth. For more information about NAWBO Chicago, visit http://www.nawbochicago.org/.

"Get a seat at the table or build your own table, and make sure to include other women at that table," said NAWBO Founding President Susan Hagar.

*PHOTO link for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0613s2p-Jessica-Merino-300dpi.jpg
*Photo caption: Jessica Merino, CFP.

On Monday, May 6, 2019, Jessica Merino of Merino Wealth Management received the Young Entrepreneur Award at the Annual Celebration NAWBO Chicago Achievement Luncheon.

Related link: https://www.merinowealth.com/

Homebot Aims to Improve Prequal-to-App Pull Through with Buyer Enhancements to Its Customer Engagement Platform

DENVER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Homebot, a customer engagement platform that delivers financial scenarios to help homeowners build wealth, today announced major enhancements to the homebuying side of its platform. The latest release inserts lenders into the market search process by integrating prompts for buyers to obtain a prequal or preapproval, lock a rate, and inquire about down payment with a single click. And, to instill a sense of urgency, future buyers can see how their buying power has changed over time as well as which markets best match their lifestyle, price point, and buying timeline.

"The market explorer includes several natural conversation starters and instant LO contact to propel buyers toward next steps. Coupled with the enhanced personalization and lifestyle indicators that show the buyer's goals and timeline, LOs can work smart and focus on the buyers that are ready to apply," said Homebot CEO Ernie Graham.

"Homebot has had years of proven success in driving repeat and referral business from our borrowers," said Wes Tool, Retail Branch Manager, Planet Home Lending. "Now, Homebot's buyer tools give our LOs the ability to nurture new relationships earlier in the buying process. This is a powerful tool to help boost the prequal-to-app pull through rate, and to help buyers make smart buying decisions."

Once an LO adds their database of potential clients to Homebot, buyers can search and assess markets with confidence -- using investor-level tools. Homebot reveals in real-time whether an area is a buyer's or seller's market, sets expectations on buying timeline for each area, and tracks purchasing power based on current mortgage rates.

Learn more and see it live: read the Homebot for Buyers blog at: https://homebot.ai/blog/new-homebot-buyer-features-just-went-live-today

To sign up for Homebot, visit homebot.ai or, see what your own home is worth by clicking here: https://get.homebot.ai/?agentId=5c7426e889d5a000fc7b9fc0

About Homebot:
Homebot helps homeowners build real estate wealth. Every month, the award winning company delivers millions of property digests to consumers on behalf of their loan officer or real estate agent. The addictive, personalized digests are chock full of data and information to give homeowners and investors multiple financial scenarios to advise on building wealth. Loan officers and real estate agents leverage the Homebot experience to deliver high engagement campaigns that deliver an average 75% open rate to cement top of mind awareness and maintain the client relationship for life. Learn more: https://homebot.ai/

Want to see it in action? Journalists - please try it for yourself: https://get.homebot.ai/?agentId=5c7426e889d5a000fc7b9fc0

Homebot is based in Denver.

*IMAGE links for media:
[1] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0613s2p-homebot-one-300dpi.jpg
[2] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0613s2p-homebot-two-300dpi.jpg
[3] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0613s2p-homebot-three-300dpi.jpg

Media Contact:
Hannah Shain
720-988-6852
hannah@homebot.ai

Homebot, a customer engagement platform that delivers financial scenarios to help homeowners build wealth, today announced major enhancements to the homebuying side of its platform. The latest release inserts lenders into the market search process by integrating prompts for buyers to obtain a prequal or preapproval, lock a rate, and inquire about down payment with a single click.

Related link: https://homebot.ai/

Texan Title Taps SafeWire by SafeChain to Provide Protection Against Wire Fraud

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Texan Title has chosen SafeWire(TM) to defend its clients' wire transactions against fraud. The blockchain-backed platform will be deployed across Texan Title's family of title companies located across Texas, including South Land Title, Prominent Title, Washington County Abstract, Guaranty Title Company of Grimes County and Security Title.

"As Texan Title seeks to drive more robust growth, we are also keenly aware of maintaining the security and integrity of our clients' transactions," said Todd Purifoy, Chief Information Officer at Texan Title. "To that end, as we seek to leverage blockchain throughout all of our operations, SafeWire was the clear choice for helping us prevent wire fraud and protect our clients' funds, as it is the industry's only wire fraud prevention platform leveraging blockchain today."

SafeWire enables title agents to conduct identity verification and account ownership authentication on both the buyer and seller in the real estate transaction to prevent wire transfers to unauthorized parties and/or accounts. As an added safeguard, the platform uses blockchain technology to securely store and transmit wiring instructions, thus circumventing the major source of wire fraud today -- business email compromise schemes.

"For growth-minded title agencies, addressing fraud must be at the top of their list of concerns," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Having fully embraced the power of blockchain across its organization, Texan Title represents the future of our industry -- innovation-friendly, technology-focused, security-minded title agencies committed to using any and all means at their disposal to improve operations and protect their clients throughout the home buying and selling process."

About SafeChain

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io.

About Texan Title

Texan Title Holdings is the parent company of a family of independent, local, homegrown title agencies, with more than 20 offices licensed in 38 Texas counties. While having a large presence in Texas, our title agencies are still local enough to provide professional service with a personal touch. Our expert teams are committed to ensuring the success of every transaction, regardless of the location of the property. The Texan Title family of companies has access to experienced real estate attorneys, title examiners and escrow officers in Abilene, Austin, Brenham, the Houston metroplex and Bryan/College Station. As independent title agents, we have the ability to write title insurance for multiple underwriters, giving us the flexibility to ensure your transaction closes quickly and smoothly. For more information, visit https://www.texantitleholdings.com.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Texan Title has chosen SafeWire(TM) to defend its clients' wire transactions against fraud. The blockchain-backed platform will be deployed across Texan Title's family of title companies located across Texas.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Hometown Lenders Adopts ReverseVision Loan Origination Technology to Launch HECM and Reverse Lending Channel

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced that Hometown Lenders has implemented ReverseVision's HECM and proprietary reverse loan origination technology to support the launch of the independent mortgage bank's HECM lending channel.

With more than 80 branches across 38 states, Hometown Lenders implemented ReverseVision's RV Exchange (RVX) loan origination system (LOS) and ReverseVision Sales Accelerator (RVSA) to support the launch and growth of HECM and proprietary reverse mortgage products in-house.

According to mortgage industry veteran David Weinstein, who was recently tapped by Hometown Lenders as national HECM manager, the independent mortgage bank's vision is to build one of the nation's most elite HECM lending divisions. Said Weinstein, "The senior leadership team at Hometown has tasked me with architecting a HECM channel capable of supporting the development of an eminent HECM lender - and I feel that ReverseVision is a critical part of that success."

Since joining Hometown Lenders, Weinstein has spearheaded a holistic HECM outreach campaign to educate borrower-facing players in the housing ecosystem - including realtors, financial planners, builders and Hometown's internal sales staff - about how borrowers can leverage benefits unique the HECM product, such as the ability to not make principal mortgage payments or HECM for purchase.

"Adding HECM and reverse mortgage products is part of our lending institution's larger strategy to provide a fully-rounded suite of products for our originators and third-party partners to succeed in helping borrowers achieve their home-ownership and financial goals," said Weinstein. "And an important part of facilitating a mutually successful lending experience is outfitting our team with leading technology."

Since implementing RVX, Weinstein has leveraged the platform to develop investor relationships to introduce proprietary reverse products to new states. Additionally, those proprietary products have been configured for seamless integration in RVX's powerful origination workflow.

"ReverseVision is the one place we can go to and have all the products that we need," said Weinstein. "This allows us to deliver consistently outstanding customer service across all of our branches, while being able to promote HECM and proprietary products through one portal."

Used by all of the top-ten producing HECM lenders, RVX serves as a central platform for participants in the reverse mortgage lifecycle to share documents and exchange information across the loan process. From the point-of-sale to post-closing and secondary marketing, RVX instantly connects borrowers, loan officers, service providers, branch managers and investors to the right party at the right time.

"ReverseVision is proud to support Hometown Lenders as it strives to more fully meet the financial and retirement goals of its senior borrowers with a HECM lending channel," said ReverseVision Vice President of Sales and Marketing Wendy Peel. "Hometown serves as an example of how a large lender can successfully integrate HECM and reverse lines into their business model."

About Hometown Lenders, Inc.

Hometown Lenders, Inc. is a Huntsville, Alabama-based, multi-channel mortgage lender that operates from the core belief that exceeding borrower expectations is the only way to do business. Hometown delivers on a pledge of excellence by leveraging unsurpassed customer service and leading-edge technology to provide the most innovative and creative mortgage financing solutions available. Hometown offers a complete range of conforming, non-conforming and government loan programs, as well as a variety of other options to help borrowers successfully budget their mortgage. For more information, visit https://htlenders.com/.

About ReverseVision

ReverseVision, Inc. is the leading software and technology provider for the reverse mortgage industry, offering products and services focused exclusively on the home-equity conversion mortgage (HECM) and related reverse mortgage programs. With nearly 10,000 active users, ReverseVision technology is used by 10 out of 10 top reverse mortgage lenders and supports more reverse mortgage transactions than all other systems combined. The company's comprehensive product suite also includes reverse mortgage sales and education tools and a dedicated professional services team. ReverseVision partners with some of the finest and fastest-growing banks, credit unions and lending organizations in the United States to provide its reverse mortgage technology to brokers, correspondents, lenders and investors.

A four-time HousingWire TECH100(TM) company, ReverseVision has also been recognized in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500(TM) listing. The company continues to build on its technology's pioneering capabilities with frequent enhancements aimed at boosting users' reverse mortgage volume, workflow efficiency and data analysis capabilities.

For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com/.

ReverseVision, the leading provider of technology and training for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) industry, today announced that Hometown Lenders has implemented ReverseVision's HECM and proprietary reverse loan origination technology to support the launch of the independent mortgage bank's HECM lending channel.

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

Bank of Southern California NA Names Kamran Khosrovani Branch Managing Director

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, announced today that it has hired Kamran Khosrovani as Branch Managing Director of Business Banking in Los Angeles. He will focus on client acquisition and retention as Bank of Southern California looks to further expand its presence throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

Mr. Khosrovani is an accomplished and respected business banker with deep roots in the West Los Angeles and surrounding communities, with a commitment to delivering superior service. Prior to joining Bank of Southern California, he served as Managing Director for First Republic Bank, specializing in relationship management and growing core deposits. Mr. Khosrovani holds a bachelor's degree from California State University Northridge.

"Kamran is a strong addition to our team of Branch Managing Directors and our clients will benefit from his wealth of in-market experience," said Scott Yates, Group Managing Director. "He has a proven track record of successfully managing and growing his portfolio. Kamran will play a vital role as we continue to expand our market presence and further position Bank of Southern California as the bank of choice for businesses in Southern California," concluded Yates.

About Bank of Southern California:

A growing community bank, established in 2001, Bank of Southern California, N.A., with headquarters in San Diego, CA, is locally owned and managed, and offers a range of financial products to individuals, professionals and small-to-medium sized businesses. The Bank's solution-driven, relationship-based approach to banking provides accessibility to decision makers and enhances value through strong partnerships with its clients. The Bank currently operates eleven branches in San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, as well as a production office in West Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit https://www.banksocal.com/ or call (858) 847-4780.

Tickers: OTC Pink:BCAL / OTC:BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL / OP: BCAL

Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, announced today that it has hired Kamran Khosrovani as Branch Managing Director of Business Banking in Los Angeles. He will focus on client acquisition and retention as Bank of Southern California looks to further expand its presence throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

Related link: https://www.banksocal.com/

Fidelity National Financial Adds NotaryCam Remote Notarization Service to Online Closing Options

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- NotaryCam(R), the pioneering leader in online notarization and the original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that Fidelity National Financial (FNF), will allow the use of NotaryCam to deliver remote online notarization (RON) and remote online closing (ROC) capabilities to FNF's network of direct title and settlement operations, as well as its network of independent title agents. Most recently, FNF used the NotaryCam platform to complete its first remote notarization in Texas.

"Title plays a critical role in the adoption of RON and ROC so it is especially encouraging to see an industry leader fully embrace these digital processes," said NotaryCam Founder and CEO Rick Triola. "The transaction that took place in Texas is really just the beginning, and we look forward to helping FNF's nationwide network of direct title operations and independent title agents streamline the residential mortgage closing process and deliver unparalleled convenience and service to home buyers and sellers throughout the U.S."

eClose360(R) by NotaryCam sets the standard for RON and ROC transactions in the real estate and mortgage industries. The platform provides lenders and title/closing agents with a secure, online closing room where they can upload closing documents, meet with signers and return fully executed and compliant documents within an hour. In addition, the system records all transactions to provide a verifiable transaction record for security and compliance purposes.

"Our engagement with NotaryCam has helped us to expand remote online notary capabilities to more of our offices and agents," said Jason Nadeau, Chief Digital Officer at Fidelity National Financial. "FNF and our title divisions are committed to bringing an end-to-end digital real estate experience to the industry, and the consumers we serve. Remote notarization is another important component in our expanding suite of digital options."

About Fidelity National Financial, Inc.:

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States.

More information about FNF can be found at https://www.fnf.com.

About NotaryCam:

After pioneering the world's first multi-party/multi-state remote online notarization (RON), career real estate executive Rick Triola founded NotaryCam and completed the first mortgage remote online closing (ROC) in 2014. Today, NotaryCam is the leader in online notarization and mortgage eClosing solutions, having notarized documents worldwide for hundreds of thousands of customers in all 50 states and more than 146 countries. The company's patented eClose360(R) platform delivers the "perfect" online mortgage closing in every jurisdiction with a flexible workflow for document recording and unparalleled identity verification, security and customer convenience. NotaryCam also proudly maintains an industry-leading 99.8 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Visit https://www.notarycam.com for additional information or to get a document notarized today.

NotaryCam(R), the pioneering leader in online notarization and the original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that Fidelity National Financial (FNF), will allow the use of NotaryCam to deliver remote online notarization (RON) and remote online closing (ROC) capabilities to FNF's network of direct title and settlement operations, as well as its network of independent title agents.

Related link: https://www.notarycam.com/

Mary Grandy of EPIC Receives 2019 Joe Quigley Memorial Award

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that EPIC Sacramento-based Vice President of Property & Casualty, Mary Grandy, was the 2019 recipient of the Joe Quigley Memorial Award, conferred annually by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). The award was presented to Grandy during the CFMA's Annual Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas on June 1-5.

In 1999, CFMA's Executive Committee unanimously approved the creation of the Joe Quigley Memorial Award in memory of former national president and the founding member of the Valley of the Sun Chapter, Joe Quigley. Joe's commitment to local chapter activities, and CFMA in general, epitomizes the dedication and commitment of CFMA volunteers.

This Memorial Award recognizes outstanding chapter participation and activity. It is given each year to that CFMA General or Associate Member who exemplifies the following:
* Enthusiasm in the promotion of CFMA at the local chapter level
* Contribution at the local chapter level (including participation in CFMA functions and committees)
* Activities that support CFMA's Mission and Strategic Goals
* Consideration for, and service to, fellow CFMA members and the local community
* Significant years of contributions to CFMA.

Click here for additional details, including a list of past winners: http://www.cfma.org/membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1095.

Said Curt Perata, EPIC's Pacific Region President, "Mary has an amazing effect on her communities. Whether it is her local community, the insurance community, or the construction community, she works tirelessly for all of them. The recipients of these efforts are not the only ones who are better off because of Mary's involvement. Anyone who has worked alongside her in any capacity has benefited from her expertise and her caring, giving spirit, including myself. All of us at EPIC are very pleased and proud to see Mary being further recognized by CFMA in this way."

About EPIC

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, including inquiries about employment, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/.

*PHOTO link for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0610s2p-EPIC-at-CFMA-300dpi.jpg
*Caption: Joe Quigley Memorial Award presented to Mary Grandy during the CFMA's Annual Conference and Exhibition.

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that EPIC Sacramento-based Vice President of Property & Casualty, Mary Grandy, was the 2019 recipient of the Joe Quigley Memorial Award, conferred annually by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

MQMR’s Marie O’Brien Named 2019 HousingWire Rising Star

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR) announced today that its Director of Compliance Marie O'Brien has been recognized by HousingWire magazine in its sixth annual HW Rising Star Awards(TM) program. O'Brien also serves as a Senior Associate in the Compliance Department of Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP and as MQMR's Associate General Counsel.

O'Brien was recognized as a Rising Star for helping MQMR build out its mortgage compliance platform and offering, which includes AML audits, monthly compliance services on demand, comprehensive compliance audits, development of mortgage compliance policies and procedures and advertising and marketing compliance reviews.

"Mortgage compliance is one of MQMR's primary areas of focus, and thanks to Marie O'Brien's considerable expertise, MQMR's reputation as the industry partner of choice for compliance advice and guidance is second to none," said MQMR President Michael Steer. "We're extremely lucky to have Marie as part of our best-in-class compliance team, and on behalf of the entire company, I would like to congratulate her for receiving this well-deserved honor."

As the magazine noted in its profile on O'Brien:

In her roles at MQMR and AGMB, O'Brien provides mission-critical compliance advice and guidance to mortgage lenders and brokers of all sizes on a variety of federal and state compliance, transactional and litigation matters including RESPA, Regulation Z, Regulation X, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Lending Act, Dodd Frank, loan officer compensation, predatory lending, disclosures, high-cost limitations and licensing.

The HW Rising Star awards recognize the innovative talent in individuals under the age of 40 that is propelling our industry forward. The 50 winners represent a variety of occupations within the housing industry, but all of them demonstrate leadership and innovation that inspire not only those within their own organizations, but also in their communities and in the industry at large. The 2019 Rising Stars were chosen by HousingWire's editorial board based on tangible accomplishments in the last 12 months.

"I am grateful for the recognition and for the opportunity to be a part of the MQMR team, which is made up of so many bright and dedicated individuals," said O'Brien. "MQMR cultivates an environment that breeds success both professionally and personally. It's exciting to see our work make a difference in this industry."

"This year's group of Rising Stars represents a rising generation of strong, innovative and motivated leaders taking the mortgage industry by storm. Each of these individuals has accomplished a great deal, but we believe they are still at the early stages of their ultimate impact on the housing economy," said Clayton Collins, CEO of HousingWire.

For the full list of this year's honorees, visit https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49144-housingwires-class-of-2019-rising-stars.

About HW Media
HW Media is the leading digital community for real estate, financial services and fintech professionals to engage, connect and gain knowledge. Founded in 2016 through the acquisition of HousingWire, HW Media is based in Dallas, TX with team members across the country. HW Media is owned by Riomar Capital.

About HousingWire
HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 40,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 4 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

About Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC
MQMR helps its clients climb higher by bridging the gap between risk and compliance through its suite of risk-related services. MQMR provides mortgage compliance consulting throughout the origination process, conducting internal audit risk assessments and ongoing internal audit support, servicing QC and subservicing oversight to master servicers, and filling the void of meeting vendor management oversight requirements. With 2,000+ operational reviews of mortgage companies, subservicers, document custodians, and vendors annually, MQMR prides itself on being the mortgage industry partner of choice for audit, risk and compliance. To learn more, visit https://www.mqmresearch.com, https://www.subsequentqc.com, and https://hqvendormanagement.com.

Mortgage Quality Management and Research, LLC (MQMR) announced today that its Director of Compliance Marie O'Brien has been recognized by HousingWire magazine in its sixth annual HW Rising Star Awards program. O'Brien also serves as a Senior Associate in the Compliance Department of Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP and as MQMR's Associate General Counsel.

Related link: https://www.mqmresearch.com/

Kevin Ach of EPIC to Moderate Executive Afternoon Session on Loss Prevention and Asset Protection at NRF Protect

ANAHEIM, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Kevin Ach, Vice President of Risk Assurance for EPIC's Integrated Risk Solutions Practice will moderate the Executive Afternoon session on loss prevention at the National Retail Foundation's "NRF Protect" Conference, being held on Tuesday, June 11 at Noon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Specifically designed for senior level loss prevention and asset protection professionals, Executive Afternoon offers interactive discussion, expert insights and takeaways, and exclusive peer-to-peer networking. The exclusive "invitation only" program considers topics that help keep pace with the rapidly changing expectations and challenges currently facing Retail and Restaurant Industry executive leaders and loss prevention/risk management professionals.

Ach will moderate and manage a series of roundtable discussions on key loss prevention and asset protection topics among the attendees, following presentations by Michael Downing, Chief Security Officer, Former Deputy Chief LAPD, Oak View Group/Prevent Advisors; Dan Hughes, VP, Security and Emergency Services, Disneyland Resort; and Banyon Hutter, Senior Vice President, Security, Caruso.

About NRF Protect:

NRF Protect is the largest retail and restaurant loss prevention event in North America. LP professionals gather annually to equip themselves with valuable industry knowledge, techniques and the latest technologies so they can tackle their biggest loss prevention challenges.

With two and half days of educational sessions, networking opportunities and an extensive EXPO Hall, attendees will leave feeling informed and confident in their ability to protect the people, assets and brands they serve. More about the event can be found at https://nrfprotect.nrf.com/

About Kevin Ach, Vice President, Risk Assurance, EPIC Integrated Risk Solutions:

Kevin Ach is a global leader in the loss prevention industry with over 18 years of experience in retail operations, supply chain, internal audit and international operations. As the Vice President, Risk Assurance for EPIC Integrated Risk Solutions, Ach assists organizations in risk mitigation, process improvements and operational efficiencies in the areas of Risk Management, Cybersecurity, Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity, Internal Audit and Loss Prevention.

Prior to joining EPIC, Ach was the senior director of retail loss prevention and safety for Office Depot Inc., overseeing loss prevention and safety activities for over 1,500 retail stores. Ach has also held varying management positions in supply chain, international retail operations, B2B and internal audit during his career. Prior to joining Office Depot, Ach worked for Arthur Andersen as an Information Systems consultant in Houston, Texas.

Ach has been actively engaged in the loss prevention industry as a speaker on numerous occasions at National Retail Federation conferences. He has also been an active member of the Loss Prevention Research Council and was a key player in the creation of an industry mentoring program for loss prevention practitioners.

Ach earned his B.S. degree in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and proudly served our country for four years as an Officer in the US Army's Signal Corps branch. Ach is a Board Member of the West Point Society of the Palm Beaches. He holds the LPC certification through the Loss Prevention Foundation. Ach currently resides in Boynton Beach, Fla. with his wife and four children.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country.

For additional information, including inquiries about employment, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com/ .

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Kevin Ach, Vice President of Risk Assurance for EPIC's Integrated Risk Solutions Practice will moderate the Executive Afternoon session on loss prevention at the National Retail Foundation's "NRF Protect" Conference, June 11 in Anaheim, Calif.

Related link: https://www.epicbrokers.com/

Command Investigations Recapitalizes to Continue Growth Trajectory

LAKE MARY, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Command Investigations ("Command") and Monument MicroCap Partners, LLC ("Monument") announce that they have completed a recapitalization transaction that will allow Command to venture into the next aspect of its growth phase and solidify itself as the premier investigative service provider in the United States.

With an increased availability of resources and the financial backing of Monument, a nationally renowned private equity firm, Command will look to extend its presence in the Northeast United States and expand into untapped markets throughout the country.

Command's executive and core management team will attain equity positions in the company and will continue to direct daily operations. The company's well-established work product and company culture will stay intact.

"We share the same vision on Command's expansion and long-term growth, and it was crucial for us to find a partner who connected with our thought process and overall outlook," said Rich Perri and Steve Cassell, Co-founders of Command Investigations.

"Our mission has always been to provide our clients with unrivaled customer service and an impeccable work product, and those ideas will remain the cornerstone of our success. Monument has fit in seamlessly with our company culture and will be a crucial resource for us as we continue to scale our operations nationally."

Command is slated to obtain its private investigation license in New York and New Jersey by the end of 2019, with plans of adding Texas, Illinois, North Carolina and South Carolina in 2020.

Currently, Command holds PI licenses in in Florida, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

About Command Investigations:

Based in Lake Mary, Florida, Command Investigations is a private investigation company that offers surveillance, medical canvasses, social media checks and other investigative services to the insurance defense community. Ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in Florida, Command is best known for its unparalleled customer service and unmatched turnaround times. With offices in Orlando, Atlanta and Los Angeles, Command offers national service with a local feel.

More information: https://gocommand.com/.

Command Investigations ("Command") and Monument MicroCap Partners, LLC ("Monument") announce that they have completed a recapitalization transaction that will allow Command to venture into the next aspect of its growth phase and solidify itself as the premier investigative service provider in the United States.

Related link: https://gocommand.com/

Best Friends Pet Hotel Announces ESOP Acquisition Led by Mosaic Capital Partners, Becoming the Largest Employee-Owned Pet Care Company

NORWALK, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- Best Friends Pet Hotel, a national operator of pet hotels with 30 locations throughout the United States offering boarding, grooming, doggy day camp, training and retail services at each of its locations, announced today its Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, acquisition led by Mosaic Capital Partners.

With this ESOP transaction, Best Friends has become the largest employee-owned company in the Pet Care industry. Jared Pinsker, CEO of Best Friends remarked. "Our people are our most critical assets. They devote themselves tirelessly to ensuring pets and pet owners have a wonderful experience at our facilities. As we continue to build on our tremendous relationships with guests and pet parents, to be able to have our employees now own the business through the ESOP is a wonderful outcome and opportunity for us. We could not be more excited."

Ian Mohler, who led the transaction for Mosaic, agreed, "We feel tremendously fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with Best Friends. The pet services sector is extremely attractive as people increasingly see pets as extensions of their human families and spend accordingly. With a 20+ year operating history, Best Friends has a wonderful legacy in the communities it serves owing to the many, many passionate employees who have such incredible dedication to their clientele. We feel we have backed the best-in-class operator in this highly fragmented industry."

Industry veteran Reed Howlett joined the partnership as an investor and Board Member. No stranger to the attractive trends in the pet sector, Reed most recently served as CEO of Nature's Variety, an early mover in the natural and raw pet food category.

As an ESOP, Best Friends Pet Hotel has also become a member of Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO). To become a member of Certified EO, companies must pass a rigorous certification process and prove significant and broad-based employee ownership.

Employee-ownership is a critical foundation of the Best Friends Pet Hotel culture. Employees treat pet guests like family and take the time to cater to each individual pet's personalized need. Best Friends Pet Hotel has "Friendly staff that care for your furry family members as if they were their own," pet parent Denise B. from Best Friends Pet Hotel in Avon, Connecticut commented about her most recent visit.

Employee-ownership strengthens the connection to the local communities in which Best Friends Pet Hotel operates, fosters financially savvy employees, and empowers employees to think and act like owners. This results in an engaged workforce and happy pets and pet parents alike - as the success of Best Friends Pet Hotel benefits both the company and employee alike. The ESOP provides a substantial retirement benefit to all eligible, full-time employees. In turn, this results in sustainable financial success that benefits the local community.

About Best Friends Pet Hotel:
Founded in 1995, Best Friends Pet Hotel has enjoyed "leader of the pack" status for the past 24 years, as one of the largest privately-held independent pet care providers in the United States. With 30 locations, providing customers with the absolute best pet care in a convenient and friendly atmosphere where safety, comfort, and fun are at the core of what we do. We offer boarding, Doggy Day Camp, grooming, and training services. Learn more at https://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/.

About Mosaic Capital Partners, LLC:
Mosaic Capital Partners, LLC ("Mosaic") is a private equity firm investing in privately held middle market companies. Based in Charlotte, NC, Mosaic employs private equity buyout strategies that incorporate the partners' unique expertise in Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Mosaic aims to help business owners achieve liquidity, wealth transfer and ownership transition with its PE-ESOP product

About Certified Employee-Owned:
To learn more about Certified EO, visit https://www.certifiedeo.com/.

VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/_FVyq2_SKrs

Media Contact:
Julia Geffner
Chief Customer Officer
Best Friends Pet Hotel
203-750-5220
jgeffner@bestfriends.net

*PHOTO links for media:
[1] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0604s2p-bfph-leaders-300dpi.jpg
Caption: Best Friends Pet Hotel Center Manager Leadership Team and Employee Owners.

[2] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0604s2p-bfph-campers-300dpi.jpg
Caption: Doggy Day Campers having a great time!

Best Friends Pet Hotel, a national operator of pet hotels with 30 locations throughout the United States offering boarding, grooming, doggy day camp, training and retail services at each of its locations, announced today its Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, acquisition led by Mosaic Capital Partners.

Related link: https://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/